Vehicle-brake.



No. 658,689. Patented Sept. 25, I900.

- M. VIDIE.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

(Applicstion filedNov. 11 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

WaMS MEP/tffi/ X39, 4 M7866 Viibe g: I Y Z22 No. 658,689. Patented Sept.25, I900. M. VlDlE.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

(Application filed Ifov. 11, 1899.)

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2 Sheets-Sheet z' time *rATns MAURICE VIDIE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,689, datedSeptember 25, 1900.

Application filed November 11, 1899. serial No. 736,686. (No model.)

2'0 alt whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that LMAURIOE VIDIE,acitizen of France, residing at 74Boulevard Haussmann, Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle- Brakes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to rope or band brakes, and has for its object toproduce by a veryslight effort a much more powerful braking action thancan be obtained by brakes of this kind employed at the present time.

In ordinary rope or band brakes when a pull is applied to one of thefree ends it is by the rotation of the wheel transmitted to the otherend at a power multiplied in proportion as the rope or band is woundaround the hub.

Now the essential feature of my invention is to transfer back to theinitial or starting end a portion of the power obtained on the otherend, so as to automatically increase the initial effort, and to thusproduce a most powerful braking action.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents, diagrammatically, anarrangement in which both rope ends are upon one and the same side ofthe hub. Fig. 2 represents, diagrammatically, a construction wherein thetwo ends of the rope are one upon each side of the hub. Figs. 3 and 4illustrate, by way of example, an arrangement for operating the brakeautomatically.

Let a, Fig. I, be a shaft or drum having a rotary motion in thedirection indicated by the arrow, and b a rope wound around the same.The ends of this rope are fastened to a spring-lever od, adapted to turnon a shaft or fulcrum c, situated nearer to (Z than to c. The movementsof the lever are limited'by two stops f and g. Supposing under theseconditions that the respective Working parts occupy the positionsrepresented in full lines, the grip of the rope upon the shaft or drumbeing ml, and supposing we exert a pull of say p kilograms upon the endh of the rope Z). This will at once cause the rope to grip the shaft ordrum a. It will be obvious that this pull will be transmitted to thepieces 1' of the rope at a degree increased in proportion to the numberof times the rope I) is wound around the shaft a. Assume, for instance,that the strain thus transmitted to the end 1' of the rope equals 10kilograms. This strain or effort causes the lever cd to turn around itsaxis e and would place it in the position ('0' if the rope I) weresufiiciently extensible, (for cc is larger than (1 d because cc islarger than ed,-) but as the rope is inextensible the lever ed actuallybends and assumes the position d'ec, thus exerting upon the piece h ofthe-rope b an additional pull, which will be transmitted to the piece 1)immediately after having thus been multiplied to the extent of thefactor it above, so that ultimately the tension of the piece 2' is muchgreater than it would be without the employment of the spring-lever.

When the end 0 of the lever is by any suitable means pushed in theopposite direction to that of the pull exerted by the spring upon therope, all the respective parts will resume their initial positions,(represented in solid lines.) Fig. 2 represents a similar arrangement,in which, however, the two ends of the rope are upon opposite sides ofthe drum. In this case it is necessary to connect the end 0 of the leverto the end it of the rope by a rigid connecting-rod lo and atransmitting-lever m, adapted to turn on a fixed pivot 71. In this caseone or the other of the two levers cd or m may be made flexible.According to Fig. 2 the lever on is made flexible and the lever cdrigid.

As will be seen, the main feature of my invention is to judiciouslyutilize a considerable portion of the power obtained by the grip of therope I) on the shaft or drum to increase the initial pull, and thus toobtain a considerable increase of the resulting effect.

It is evident that my invention may be carried out in a number of waysand be applied to any different problems, and it should be understoodthat I reserve the property of the principle, irrespective of what maybe the ultimate application. One application, however, is to thestopping of vehicles, and I will now describe, by way of example, animproved brake on the principleI have explained.

In this application I have adopted the sec ond arrangement, and it willbe seen that in Figs. 3 and 4 like letters of reference designate thecorresponding parts of Fig. 2.

As there are two brake-wheels, and consequently two ropes b, I have forthe sake of simplifying the construction arranged one singleconnecting-rod 7c in the central plane of the vehicle. The twoshoe-supports are mounted on a single shaft 6, suitably connected to theframe of the vehicle.

The two ends h of the ropes are connected by a leaf-spring 'm, suspendedfrom the frame of the vehicle by means of small chains 0.

To the center of the shaft 8 the lever is keyed, the same being longerthan the lever ed, and its extremity 0 being coupled by a rigidconnecting-rod k, and the spring in is eifected by means of anadjustable milled nut 19, serving for regulating. The connectingrod isadapted to slide in axyuide q, fixed below the axle, and carries a stop1'; The action of this arrangement will be readily understood. A veryslight efiort exerted upon the rope ends h is sufficient to cause theends '5 to apply the brake-shoes against the rim of the wheel andsimultaneously to effect the rotation of the lever e c, which latter, bythe connecting-rod 7c and the spring 172, transmits an additionalinitial tension to the rope ends h.

In order to render the brakeautomatic, all that is necessary is toconnect the ends .9 of the sprin, m to an appropriate link 15, which issubject to t he haulage or pull on the vehicle. This may, for instance,be effected by fastening the swingle u to a rod a), sliding in thefore-carriage and carrying a stop 2. The length of the link or band i,which may, for instance, be a steel wire, is such that the stop rot theconnectingrod is will bear against the fixed piece q a little before thestop :4 bears againstthe fore-carriage. Under these conditions thespring m, which is slightly bent, draws the piece r back with a forceadjustable by the nntp, and which force may, for example, he made equalto 13 kilograms. Consequently as long as the tractional eifort or draftpuli is greater than )9 kilograms the abutment 2 will bear against theforecarriage and the vehicle will be in motion. As soon, however, as thepull becomes less than 19 kilograms the ends .9 of the spring m becomefree and exert upon the rope ends it a tension sufficient to cause therope to adhere to the hub of the Wheel, and consequently to throw theshoe-brake and the ordinary ropebrake into operation. At the same timethe lever cc and the connecting-rod 7a are set in motion and the centerat of the spring mis forced back to a greater extent than the points ofconnection of the rope ends h, seeing that the lever e0 is larger thanthe lever cd. Thus a considerablygreater braking effect is produced.

The initial tension of the ropes may be produced by other means than thepermanent tension of the spring 'mfor instance, by a counterweight,which may he one of the parts of the brake itself (the weight of thebrakeshoe, the levers, the spring, the.) if they be arranged asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 or by other springs of lessstrength. In like manner the transmission of the pull from the horse tothe ends of he spring may be effected in any other appropriate manner.

I claim 1. A rope or hand brake for vehicles, consistingofa rope, orband, wound upon a shaft, or drum, one end of said rope or band beingconnected to a rigid lever, andthe other end to a flexible lever,substantially as described.

2. In a vehicle-brake, the combination with a shaft, or drum, of a rope,or band, wound on said shaft or drum, a rigid lever arranged on one sideof said shaft connected to one end of said rope or band, and a flexiblelever arranged upon the opposite side of said shaft and connected to theother end of said rope or band, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a shaft, or drum, of a rope or band woundthereon, a rigid lever connected to one end of said rope or band on oneside of the drum, or shaft, a spring-bar connected to the other end ofsaid rope or band on the other side of the drum or shaft and a rodconnecting said spring-bar to the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

MAURICE VIDIE. Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN,

ALFRED FREY.

